Fine Books & Manuscripts

MERCATOR, Gerard (1512–1594). –– HONDIUS, Jodocus (1563–1612). Atlas sive Cosmographicae Meditationes de Fabrica mundi et fabricati figura. Amsterdam: Johannis Cloppenburgh, 1632. Oblong 8vo in fours (215 x 275 mm). Latin text. Half–title, engraved title within engraved and historiated border, woodcut head– and tail–pieces, woodcut initials, 179 engraved maps mostly engraved by Pieter van der Keere after Hondius, Beins, Surhon, and Martin (occasional light browning or spotting, a few repairs to margins, some offsetting from plates to text). Includes the map of Frisia Occidentalis, bound at gathering Hhh2, not recorded in Koeman’s collation. Contemporary red morocco, central gilt coat–of–arms surrounded by two double fillets and gilt corner ornaments on both covers, four raised bands, gilt centerpieces and fillets in compartments, all edges gilt (light rubbing to joints and corners, some worming to spine in compartments); folding cloth box with morocco spine label gilt. Provenance: Property of the Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation (sold Christie’s New York, 17 June 2003, lot 234). Second edition of Cloppenburg’s Atlas and the FIRST PUBLISHED IN LATIN. In 1607, Hondius published the first edition of the Atlas Minor, introducing small format atlases to a wider audience. In 1630, Cloppenburg reworked and enlarged these plates with a set of newly engraved maps publishing subsequent editions in 1632 and 1636. The plates were suppressed and did not appear again until 1673 when Johannes Janssonius’s son–in–law, Johannes Janssonius van Waesberge expanded the run to 183 maps. Koeman II:Me 200; Phillips Atlases 443; Sabin 47882.